Bliss
by BalthierFlare
Summary: They say when one lovebird leaves, the other gives up on life, and all its will to live. OoT. Zelink. Oneshot...?


**Disclaimer: I do not own any Zelda characters or anything, basically! It all belongs to Nintendo!**

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_Bliss_

Alone in her second story room, she sat on a plush cushion, taking a section of her silky golden hair at a time and twisting it into a long braid. Night seemed to approach slower every day, and the Princess would stare for longer and longer out to the fields. On sunny days she would open it, and let the cool breeze cascade in. On rainy days she would lean against the wall as she sat on the sill, and stare through the glassy panes as the droplets pounded on the window.

Everyone was worried. Hours on end no words would be spoken from her mouth, she would simply sit near her window, fixing her hair, and staring off into the distance. At first she would only sit for an hour or so, but as the days progressed she spent countless amounts of time staring outward. The Princess grew more and more reserved, when someone addressed her it would be hard for her to look away, and when she did only a glassy stare was received, similar to the look of the window.

She had always been kind and friendly, but something changed her. With Ganondorf defeated and Hyrule gradually being restored, everyone believed the Princess would be there with empowerment and support for improvement. However, she was never upbeat, and fell ill easily. Late at night her attendants could hear her whimpers in the next room for hours on end as she wept all night long. If one entered to ask if she needed anything the Princess would brush them off with one of the few spoken words of the day, "I'm fine." She would crawl into bed and wrap herself into the blankets as if she were a cocoon.

Every morning she would wake up with her same blank stare, walk to her dresser, pick up her brush, and resume brushing the same as she did every night. Her attendants would offer her help, but she would nod no, and they would leave her alone for awhile until they came back to ask what she would like for breakfast. She asked for the same thing everyday, in a low whisper, "May I please have a strawberry?" The Princess would give a small smile, the happiest moment of her day, and wait patiently for her meal.

No one knew why she asked for a strawberry every morning. Her closest attendants were baffled, and constantly asked how she was doing. They were constantly pestered, being accused for her mood. Impa, the Princess's guardian, was the only one who had a clue as to why the Princess acted such.

Long, long ago, when the Princess was young, Impa remembered, when the Princess was eight or so, she met a boy her age. The Princess had always been kept alone, in confinement, away from the world. When she met this boy she met everything she wanted to be. She wanted to be free. The Princess wanted courage; she wanted the gift of meeting so many people, and to be able to help them, too. Above all she wanted adventure. But the Princess never realized she was just like him; she led her people through the roughest of times, everyone had an enormous amount of faith in her. She was righteous, and trustworthy, and even when she was young she possessed abundant wisdom.

This is what Impa believed to have caused the Princess so much pain. The Princess entrusted the boy, and together they took down the vile evil that disrupted the tranquility of the land. They sent the dark man into the exile of the Sacred Realm, far away from Hyrule. But when this happened, the Princess had to leave the boy. She sent him back, so he could live as a child. When he returned to his childhood, he had lost his closest ally. He left in search for her, leaving the Princess behind. It had been seven years.

At noon every day, the Princess would be sitting on the ledge, with the window open or closed, as she stared outside. She would count the days, silently whispering to herself the exact amount of time he had been gone.

Today was especially important, it marked the seventh year the boy had been gone. The Princess stared blankly out the window, eyeing the sun, and when she predicted it was noon, she announced to herself, "Two thousand five hundred and fifty five days, making it seven years..."

Before he left he visited her, back in their childhood. He came in his green garb and spoke these words, "I am embarking on a journey to find my closest friend. She left me when you sent me back, and I miss her dearly. I will return in no more than seven years."

He turned and left, as the Princess stared into the distance for a moment, her eyes following the boy as he walked out. She waved to him, and tenderly grabbed the gift he had left: a basket of strawberries.

It had been seven years, and he was supposed to come back. She searched the dawn grounds for him every morning, she scanned the noon lit plains, and when it was evening she inspected the dim lands for his figure. At times she felt like she should sing for him, but she knew her lullabies would not reach him.

The night of the seventh year marking, the Princess sat on the ledge of the sill. Her light pink nightgown rested on her body as she unbraided her long golden hair. Something inside of her told her he could hear her. She nervously fidgeted on the sill, before notes were flowing from her mouth in a smooth, gentle croon.

The castle stirred, in fact, all around Hyrule people woke to the amiable song. They listened intently, captivated by its beauty. The Princess's attendants rushed to her room, glad to hear her voice once more. Everyone enjoyed her song, but the Princess wanted only one to notice it.

The Princess continued the song, while running her fingers through her hip-length hair. The braids had made it wavy, giving a delicate curl throughout, and with the moon reflecting on its golden color, it seemed to house a small glow.

She hushed for she thought she heard steps, she glanced around to find a source but to no avail. The Princess continued her song until a familiar voice called out to her.

"Zelda!" Someone called from below.

The Princess snapped from her trance. Her hands quickly flew to the ledge for support as she leaned over to see the cause. The voice called out, "I'm over here!" And the Princess darted to her dresser and lit her candle, bringing the flame to the window she had left open. She lit the night's darkness with one small flame enough to see a memorable form. She knew who it was; she remembered his voice from long ago, seven years ago.

"Link!" She cried out in joy. The Princess had waited so long for his arrival.

"Do you mind if I come up there?" He asked, smiling.

The Princess nodded, "Yes, do come here, please!"

He bounded through the doors, beaming merrily. The Princess jumped from her ledge, and rushed to him, wrapping her delicate arms around him. His warm body comforted her, and he returned the embrace.

"Where've you been?" She asked, her head leaning against his chest.

He didn't answer and loosened his hold on her. He walked over to the ledge, and the Princess followed. He sat on the ledge and the Princess sat opposite of him.

He had changed. He had grown into a young man. His blonde hair was dirtied with light brown, but his recognizable cerulean eyes had remained the same. There was still the same courage and determination evident in his stare. The Princess gazed at him, as he looked toward the window, "I'm sorry I took so long..."

She couldn't help but laugh; she didn't know what to say. She always thought of all the things she would say to him, but they didn't come to mind at this time. She glanced at him, and their eyes met. She couldn't help but blush, and lace her fingers together in her lap, "I..." She whispered softly.

He continued gazing out the window, just as if he were her. His eyes returned to the Princess for a moment, "I think if there is one thing I've realized out there..." He said, pointing out into the distance, "It's that life has provided us so much...but we often throw away perfect opportunities..."

The Princess looked down at her hands, and then looked up at him, "Link, I think it was great for you to search for her..."

He smiled, and stood. He walked toward the Princess, and held out his hand. She gazed up, and took his hand. They seemed much stronger than before; in her mind they represented all he'd been through.

"Zelda, I'm sorry I wasn't here all those years," he said, as he took her hand in his.

The Princess had waited for seven years for him to be back, and now that he was she felt as if she were in a dream. She felt comforted with him near, she felt safe.

He paused near her cracked open door and then walked in the other direction. He led her to the window, holding her hand tightly and gazed toward the stars and moon.

The Princess looked up at him then out the window, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

His eyes left the sky and gazed into hers. He let go of her hand, and wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer. He looked down at her, and she rested her arms on his shoulders as their lips touched, and melted into a soft kiss: something that had been long overdue.

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**A/N: Aww. That was a bit cheesy/emo/procrastinator-ish, but hey, it's good enough for a first try. This is the first time any of my characters have kissed! O.O Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. R&R! Pleeease!**


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